An argument for basic emotions

This work has shown that not only the intensity of an emotion but also its direction may vary greatly both in the amygdala and in the brain during the course of emotion regulation.

Abstract

Abstract Emotions are viewed as having evolved through their adaptive value in dealing with fundamental life-tasks. Each emotion has unique features: signal, physiology, and antecedent events. Each emotion also has characteristics in common with other emotions: rapid onset, short duration, unbidden occurrence, automatic appraisal, and coherence among responses. These shared and unique characteristics are the product of our evolution, and distinguish emotions from other affective phenomena.